Covenant stories

Kiwi on Tui Glen near Whangarei

Looking after kiwi at Tui Glen

Keen covenantors, Duncan and Jean Macky, protected two blocks of tawa-mangeao forest on their previous farm at Maungatautari in the Waikato with their first covenant in 2005.

They moved to Tui Glen farm at Pipiwai north-west of Whangarei four years ago.

While assessing their bush for a covenant, Nan Pullman, the local QEII Regional Representative, saw kiwi probe holes.

To protect this habitat of North Island brown kiwi, Duncan and Jean put a 29ha covenant in place in July 2009.

Right: Jean and Duncan Macky with a kiwi chick in their QEII covenant.

‘The Mackys are hard workers and great covenantors,’ says Nan.

‘They got rid of roaming stock from the bush and have vigorously attacked pest issues.

'They have paid for a transceiver to monitor kiwi and with assistance from Whangarei District Council built a platform for kiwi listening.

‘QEII, Northland Regional Council, Whangarei District Council and the Mackys contributed to the cost of fencing the covenant while the Department of Conservation is helping with the kiwi monitoring and mustelid control.

'This is a wonderful example of farmers looking after the conservation values of their land and working alongside agencies to protect our threatened species.’

Above: Jean Macky, Nan Pullman and Duncan Macky help with monitoring the condition of a kiwi while Pete Graham from the Department of Conservation weighs the chick.

Right: The covenant has some steep gullies covering the upper catchment of the Putauhinu Stream.

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